The University of Northern Iowa announced today a $25 million gift to its College of Business, which is the largest single gift in the university’s history.

David Wilson, a 1970 graduate of UNI and chairman and CEO of Wilson Automotive, pledged the donation. The university says the gift will “chart a bold path for the future of the College of Business, fueling strategic initiatives and investing in faculty and students.”

Upon approval from the Board of Regents, UNI will rename its business college the David W. Wilson College of Business in honor of the gift.

“This gift to UNI is made in the hope that this money will transform the university, transform the College of Business,” Wilson said in a prepared statement. “I’m hoping this gift will ensure students will learn to do things the right way.”

His contribution establishes two funds: the Wilson Endowment for Integrity and Excellence and the Wilson Scholars Fund.

The Wilson Endowment for Integrity and Excellence will advance business ethics education and ensure graduates continue to lead in a rapidly changing business landscape, according to a news release. The three goals of the endowment are to elevate ethics and integrity as part of the business college’s brand, expand business ethics education for business and non-business students, and foster innovation by providing direct funding and opportunity for innovation.

The Wilson Scholars Fund provides renewable scholarships for students from Tama County, which includes Wilson’s hometown of Traer. The first Wilson Scholar will be awarded in the 2024-2025 academic year with the intent that eventually four Wilson Scholars will be funded annually.

Leslie Wilson, dean of UNI’s College of Business, said the gift represents a new chapter for the college.

“Current and future business leaders need to be equipped to confront the complexities of a domestic and global economy. They need the critical thinking skills that allow them to live their values and lead with integrity,” Leslie Wilson said in a prepared statement. “The David W. Wilson College of Business will elevate ethics and integrity as a core component of who we are: through our mission, our curriculum and our brand.”

According to the release, Wilson worked with the UNI Foundation to structure his contribution as a challenge gift in the hopes of spurring additional support for the university’s “Our Tomorrow” campaign. Currently, more than 27,000 people have contributed to the university’s capital campaign, which launched in October 2022.

Wilson made his first gift of $1 million to UNI’s business college in 1999, which established the David W. Wilson Chair of Business Ethics. The faculty position educates students about ethics and serves as a resource on the topic for the community.

At UNI, Wilson studied religion and philosophy with a minor in business and gained his first experiences working with cars as a mechanic and salesman at a local dealership. He and his young family moved to Arizona after graduation, where he started working as a car salesman. Within five years, he would own a 25% stake in the business and leverage the partnership to launch his own dealerships throughout the southwest United States and parts of Mexico, according to a biography of Wilson shared in the news release.

Wilson has now worked in the automotive industry for over 50 years. As the owner and CEO of Wilson Automotive, he oversees 18 automobile dealerships that employ over 2,500 people. Today, Wilson and his family reside in Nevada.